Show threadKroc Camen1d ago

At the office, on my portable #writing battlestation

#psion #retrocomputing #writerdeck

Show threadThe Last Psion | Alex3d ago

And that's the .ASM and .ING files done!

https://codeberg.org/thelastpsion/ctran/commit/dbc50dbdab0e14cef1ecc4b1391dcada0f54b59e

There are other issues with #TASM file generation in my code, such as class property generation. Thing is, I think there are bugs in the original #Psion #CTRAN TASM support, and as I'm not fluent in 8086 assembly (yet) I can't tell what's right.

I'm sorely tempted to remove TASM support completely. I can't see anyone using it.

My new CTRAN is only meant to be a stop-gap until I eventually get around to writing a C compiler with built-in class support. But that could take me years, so it needs to exist for now.

I wish Colly Myers was still alive so that I could ask him questions about CTRAN. About the whole of the SDK, to be honest.

fix: Implement abstract classes in .ASM and .ING files · dbc50dbdab

ctran - Recreation of CTRAN.EXE, the Psion OO C preprocessor from the SIBO C SDK.

Codeberg.org
The Last Psion | Alex3d ago

ABSTRACT CLASSES WORK!

It's only for .C and .G (header) files and it's hacky as hell, but it works exactly like #Psion's #CTRAN.

It's taken me probably two years to mentally be in a position to get this working. I always knew the solution was simple, but I just couldn't work it out. But once I'd written a test file with two abstract classes it became really obvious. I had to back myself out of a couple of coding corners to get it to work, which is no bad thing.

I can see that I'll need to do a lot more tidying here. I'm calculating a few things on the fly multiple times, sometimes just to get a count of the methods that need to be generate. I'll either need to modify my existing DependencyList dictionary to add more information, or create a new one with just the method details.

Next I need to do the TASM file generation (.ASM and .ING files), and check that there's nothing that needs doing with the skeleton class file generation.

https://codeberg.org/thelastpsion/ctran/commit/f782e2025b133aa835e22a8116de93245789ee5b

#SIBOSDK

fix: Implement abstract classes in .C and .G files · f782e2025b

ctran - Recreation of CTRAN.EXE, the Psion OO C preprocessor from the SIBO C SDK.

Codeberg.org
Habr4d ago

У тебя телефон? У меня КПК! История предтечи смартфонов

То, что мы сейчас называем КПК, PDA или по-русски «наладонником», зародилось из двух параллельных миров. Первый мир – это мир фантастов и исследовательских лабораторий, где мечтали о персональном компьютере будущего. Второй – мир программируемых калькуляторов с простейшими дисплеями. В какой-то момент эти два мира встретились Еще в конце 60-х годов XX века Алан Кей, работавший в Xerox PARC, сформулировал концепцию Dynabook. Это должен был быть портативный компьютер размером с блокнот, с плоским дисплеем, графическим интерфейсом и ориентацией на обучение. По сути, Кей описал не столько КПК, сколько идеальный персональный мобильный компьютер. Что-то среднее между ноутбуком, планшетом и электронным учебником. Но технологии того времени были абсолютно не готовы к такой роскоши. Процессоры слабые, память дорогая, дисплеи примитивные, аккумуляторы тяжелые. Поэтому Dynabook долго оставался мечтой. Но в 80-е от мечт перешли к делу.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/beget/articles/1041346/

#КПК #наладонник #palm #PDA #Pocket_PC #коммуникатор #psion #messagepad #iphone #nokia_9000

У тебя телефон? У меня КПК! История предтечи смартфонов

То, что мы сейчас называем КПК, PDA или по-русски «наладонником», зародилось из двух параллельных миров. Первый мир – это мир фантастов и исследовательских лабораторий, где мечтали о персональном...

Хабр
Show threadKroc CamenMay 26

As they say, "Aww Sh!t". The unfortunate side of these 25-30 year old machines is that the plastics are failing. With me using mine so much, the door to the Compact Flash slot cracked. I used some epoxy resin to repair it, but whilst trying to wriggle the door free from being glued in the open position, the whole thing tore apart :(

Thankfully, it doesn't prevent the device from working as the sense switch for the door is in the corner where it pivots, and the stylus is on a spring-lock.

I've put close to 60 hours of writing into this device since starting the book (https://camendesign.com/nomad) and I'm pushing to get the new chapter finished for the end of the month.

I wish we had replacement cases for these, but the community is so incredibly small we can't afford to have these re-manufactured, if we could even get the design recreated correctly :/

#worldglass #psion #retrocomputing #writing #writerdeck

Show threadThe Last Psion | AlexMay 26
Fullscreen #Psion MC400.
Show threadThe Last Psion | AlexMay 25

OK, we're getting somewhere.

The EPOS machine is now running #EndeavourOS. I'm an Arch man anyway, so this was a quick way for me to just get something running.

I'll try Kalpa again another time. I'm sure it'll be an easy fix, but right now is not the time.

Next I need to build a custom version of MAME for Arch using the latest git checkout. It's got some new shiny EPOC32 things! But I won't be compiling that on the EPOS unit. This thing has an Apollo Lake Celeron in it. That's plenty fast enough to run a few copies of MAME and a presentation, but compiling MAME would take a day, even with only the #Psion emulation.

Show threadthe roamerMay 25

@Kroc

I had a Psion 3a and loved it; it was a true personal organiser. I also did programming on it and used it for simple database tasks at work. I also had the 5mx --- though I loved the 3a more! As you say, the Psions were (are!) unsurpassed designs both in hardware and software. Delighted you are using yours so productively in 2026.

We owe thanks to David Potter, who made it a commercial reality.

#Psion DavidEPotter #whyisgooddesignsorare

The Last Psion | AlexMay 25

My attempts at preparing for #RetroFest2026 have not gone smoothly.

  • Hinge repairs didn't take on a rare #Psion Series 3a. Clearly I got the JB Weld mix wrong, or the tubes I've had for 8 years are going off. I've bought more JB Weld.
  • The same rare 3a probably needs a new flex, but it's a screen construction I've never seen before. It looks like Psion glued more bits together... It might have to stay broken for now.
  • EPOS unit (Apollo Lake processor with iGPU) running #openSUSE Kalpa won't start any graphical session. In a fit of impatience, I wiped the machine and started again. Clean build of Kalpa has the same issue. Now trying Tumbleweed to see if it's an openSUSE issue before trying other distros.
  • Once I've got something running on the EPOS unit, I need to install a custom build of MAME with as many ROMs as I can find, and get a slideshow running with LibreOffice Impress.
  • Ikôn (WinCE machine) battery completely dead. The Ikôn won't start without a battery.
  • netBook power socket might be dodgy. Might need to open it up again and check the soldering. Hopefully just needs some contact cleaner.

Plus I'm struggling to make decisions on simple things, like how to use a new flight case with pick-and-pluck foam to optimally arrange Psion gear for transport. And I haven't finished the slideshow yet.

This is meant to be fun, right?

#RetroFest

The Last Psion | AlexMay 21

Got my French #Psion 3mx out of its box the other day, only to find that the screen was showing nothing but black. After checking the obvious (contrast), I assumed it must be the screen flex cable.

Weirdly, continuity on the flex seems fine. It might be a dry joint at the other end, but reflowing the solder did nothing.

For now I've swapped the screen and bezel with one from a hinge-challenged 3mx I had in bits. That'll get it working for #RetroFest next week. I'll put the old screen aside for another day - hopefully some day I'll be able to return it to its original machine.

#retrocomputing